Greece: a bishop's remarks on rape unanimously condemned
A Greek bishop blesses water during the Epiphany ceremony on January 6, 2015 in the suburbs of Athens.
Illustrative image.
© REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In Greece, the reactions are strong and the condemnations numerous, after the remarks of a senior religious dignitary on the rape, Friday September 2.
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With our correspondent in Athens
,
Joël Bronner
During a televised debate devoted to abortion on Friday, an Orthodox bishop affirmed, among other things, that “
a woman is not raped unless she wants it
”.
Statements that revolted the entire political class and that the Greek clergy also hastened to condemn, stating that such remarks “
tarnish
” the image of the Orthodox Church.
“
Unthinkable and reprehensible
”.
Here is the pithy summary of the Greek
Minister of Education and Religious Affairs
, Niki Kerameos, about the statements of the bishop, held on the private television channel SKAI.
For the conservative minister, these allegations “
brutally shock society and are not in line with the position of the Church, which supports women victims of abuse and rape
”.
A little earlier, in front of the camera, Bishop Chrysostomos of Dodoni, with a long white beard and traditional black outfit, had indeed accumulated cookie-cutter declarations and untruths.
He also claimed that a woman "
cannot get pregnant
" as a result of rape.
In reaction, the leftist opposition showed no more tenderness than the government.
The Pasok-Kinal evoked a
"return to the Middle Ages
", where Syriza sees in these remarks the reflection of the "
obscurantist times
" when witches were hunted.
In Greece, the ultra-majority Orthodox religion is represented by an exclusively male and very conservative clergy.
Its official positions are thus opposed to homosexual relations, sexual relations before marriage or even abortion.
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Greece
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